Generally, the lens mount of such a bellows camera also carries a shutter which is centered on the optical axis of the objective and can be cocked with the aid of a spring-loaded setting ring. To release the shutter from its cocked position, a trigger such as a pushbutton must be actuated. Conventionally, the trigger is disposed on the lens mount where it can be operatively coupled with the setting ring by a simple mechanical transmission.
In my copending application Ser. No. 831,279 of even date, whose disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in the present application, I have described a shutter-control mechanism comprising actuating means on the camera housing operatively connected with a setting ring on the lens mount via a gear train supported on a part of the extendible linkage which connects the lens mount with the housing, specifically on a pair of legs of equal length forming a knee joint.
The shutter-actuating means disclosed in my above-identified application comprises two separate operating elements, namely a wind-up lever connected with the gear train by way of a lost-motion coupling and a release member or trigger juxtaposed therewith. While the emplacement of these elements on the housing rather than on the lens mount simplifies the operation of the shutter and allows for a steadier holding of the camera during picture-taking, space considerations may create a problem, e.g. when part of the upper housing surface is used to accommodate a withdrawable viewfinder according to the disclosure of my copending application Ser. No. 831,266 of even date.
In certain prior-art cameras, a shutter-release button or trigger is received in a knob controlling the film transport to save space. Since, however, the advance of the film and the tripping of the shutter occur at different times, usually with intervening focusing upon the object to be photographed, a physical juxtaposition of the shutter release with a focusing knob would be more convenient.